After we lost everything in Lukas village five years ago, I left with only one thing worth protecting—my little sister. Together, we wandered from city to city, village to village. Strangers everywhere, no roof, no home, no place where we belonged.
Our first stop was Rone Village. It was the first time we stepped outside into the wider world, stripped of the name Lukas, stripped of family and protection.
But the outer world… was crueler than I ever imagined.
I didn't know how to work. I didn't know how to earn money. All I knew was that my sister looked up at me with trusting eyes, waiting for me to guide her.
And that night… was the first time reality crushed me.
"Brother, where are we gonna sleep tonight?" Jina asked softly, her small hand clutching mine.
Her eyes were innocent, but filled with quiet fear.
What could I possibly answer?
I didn't know. I had no plan. We had no money. No place. No food. Nothing.
That night, we slept on the streets.
The ground was hard, rough against my skin, and the night air was biting cold. The kind of cold that pierces into your bones. Jina curled up beside me, trembling. My heart twisted as I pulled off my shirt and wrapped it around her fragile body.
She slept on my arm, her face peaceful in her slumber, even as her lips were pale.
But I couldn't close my eyes.
How could I? Anything could happen—thieves, drunkards, kidnappers. I had heard rumors of children being taken and sold. I couldn't risk it. So I sat there, my back against the cold wall, staring into the dark street, trembling but forcing myself to stay awake.
All night, I watched. All night, I stayed awake.
That was the first night. Cold. Hungry. Afraid. And the worst part… was the guilt.
Because my sister depended on me, and all I could give her was the hard ground and my shirt.
The next day, I swore I would find work. No matter what.
"Excuse me, can you give me any work? I'll do anything, sir."
"Sorry kid, we already have enough workers."
"Please, sir, I'll work for free, just—"
"No. Go away."
Shop after shop. Stall after stall. I begged, bowed, pleaded—yet every door slammed in my face.
The morning faded into noon. My legs trembled from exhaustion, my stomach was empty, and my little sister walked quietly beside me.
We hadn't eaten in over a day.
But what broke me was her silence.
She didn't complain. She didn't cry. She just smiled faintly as if to tell me, I'm fine, brother.
But I could see her steps faltering. Her lips cracked. Her face pale.
"Brother, it's okay… I'm not hungry," Jina whispered.
But I knew. I knew she was starving.
And yet she said nothing, because she didn't want to make me worry.
I couldn't take it anymore.
"Excuse me, sir, please—give us something to eat. We haven't eaten for two days."
"Are you kidding me? Look at your clothes. Kids like you just want to scam food. Get lost!"
One after another, people turned away. Some frowned. Some cursed. Some didn't even bother to look at us.
I tore my clothes. Made myself look ragged. Maybe then they'd believe me. But no—nothing changed.
It wasn't the clothes. It was them. People were heartless.
What would they lose if they spared a piece of bread for two starving children? Would the world crumble if they showed a little kindness?
But no. They ignored us. Again and again.
And then… Jina collapsed.
Her small body trembled, her knees gave out, and she couldn't walk anymore.
"Jina! Jina!" I lifted her onto my back, panic rushing through me. Tears blurred my eyes as I begged louder, cried louder. But the faces of people blurred past me, indifferent, like we didn't even exist.
I thought… I was going to lose her.
That fear—of losing the only person left to me—drove me to desperation.
So that night, with trembling hands, I stole bread from a shop.
When I returned to Jina, I gave her all of it.
"Eat, Jina. Please eat."
Her small hands hesitated.
"Brother… why are you giving me all of this? You're hungry too. You need to eat too."
My throat tightened. Even starving, even weak, she thought of me first.
I forced a smile and took a single piece of bread to calm her. "See? I'm eating too. Don't worry about me."
She nodded, her lips forming a faint smile as she began to eat.
Watching her chew with trembling hands, tears streamed down my face silently. Relief. Guilt. Anger at the world.
Another night passed. Again on the streets. Again sleepless.
But at least… we survived another day.
The third day, we left Rone Village behind.
There was no kindness there. No mercy. If we stayed, we would've starved to death. I needed work to survive, and in that village, no one was willing to give me a chance.
So we walked.
Our destination was Galdora Town, a place I had only heard about in passing. On the road, I picked fruits from the trees we passed—anything edible, anything that would keep my sister from starving. I had already learned the cruel lesson of hunger. I couldn't let us suffer the same way again.
That night, we reached Galdora Town. We were strangers again, without a coin, without a home.
So, once more, we slept on the streets.
But this time I chose carefully. A quiet, hidden corner of the town, where footsteps wouldn't reach, where I could at least pretend we were safe.
We ate a few fruits, saved the rest, and for the first time in two days, I allowed myself to close my eyes.
My body gave in. My mind gave in. After two nights without sleep, I couldn't fight it anymore.
And when I woke up the next morning—
The food was gone. Every last piece. Stolen.
My heart sank. But at least… Jina was still sleeping peacefully at my side. At least she was safe. That was all that mattered.
Still, fear crept into me. What if Galdora was no different from Rone? What if we were forced into that same nightmare again?
But this time… things were different.
I found a shop. And the owner was generous. More generous than I thought possible. When I told him, "I'll do anything, just give us food and a place to stay," he not only gave us work—he gave us food, shelter, and even a little money.
For the first time in so long… we had a home.
It was tough. The work was hard. The money was little. But we survived.
And that was enough to make us happy.
A year passed like that. I saved a small amount, enough to rent a modest home. Watching Jina smile in that tiny place, eating warm meals… those moments were everything to me.
But happiness… never lasts.
One day, I saw him. A man, walking through the streets, asking questions. Searching—for the Lukas family.
Fear wrapped around my chest like chains.
I rushed home immediately.
"Brother, are we going somewhere?" Jina looked at me with confused eyes as I hurriedly packed our things.
"We need to leave, Jina. We can't stay here anymore."
And just like that, we left Galdora Town behind.
It became a cycle. A cruel, endless cycle. Every time we settled down, every time I thought we were safe, they came—men searching for traces of our family. And every time, we had to run.
Village after village. Town after town.
Running. Always running.
Until finally, we reached the small, quiet Handol Village. Hidden, peaceful, and far away from the eyes that chased us.
And so… five years passed.
Five years of running. Five years of fear. Five years of surviving by clinging to scraps of hope.
Jun opened his eyes. He lay on the cold floor of the training tower's second floor, staring at the empty ceiling. His chest rose and fell slowly, his breath heavy.
A faint, tired smile touched his lips.
"Now… we don't need to run anymore. I have enough strength to protect my sister. Although I still have a long way to go… I'll work hard. I'll get stronger."